‘Stephen Colbert Denied!’ in the zeitgeist

As first reported here on NoFactZone.net (well, after Politico.com reported it…) Stephen’s bid to be on the Democratic primary ballot in South Carolina was rejected by the state’s Democratic Party Executive Committee. Sorting through all the related news reports and commentaries kept me busy enough that the post I wanted to make yesterday is coming at you today. So here’s a very special and very focused zeitgeist for November 3, 2007.

There’s not a lot of new information in the posts, but the different takes are interesting and the breadth of coverage is quite something. For a quick run down of the background issues, If you’re not familiar with the story of Stephen’s campaign for President and the related media kerfluffle, check out our “Colbert 08″ category. MTV.com also has a nice summary of the backstory.

Colbert Denied! in the local news
My favorite take on this (after Stephen’s, of course) is from South Carolina’s The State:

Colbert won’t be on S.C. ballot
Get this: Democratic honchos didn’t think the comedian was a serious candidate

Comedian Stephen Colbert’s whimsical bid to get on the 2008 ballot for president in his home state is officially a bust.

The S.C. Democratic Party’s executive committee decided Thursday Colbert would not be among the candidates on the party’s ballot.

Colbert, host of Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report,” toyed with running for president in the S.C. Republican Party’s primary, too. But he decided against paying the Republicans’ $35,000 filing fee.

So voters won’t be able to choose Colbert in January. Colbert won’t be on the ballot, and primary voters will not have a write-in option.

…

While Colbert — political satirist and self-proclaimed favorite son — did not make the ballot, neither did little known Henry Hewes, of New York. Hewes and Colbert ran into the same problem. In order to be a viable candidate, one must actively campaign in South Carolina. …

Colbert and Hewes will get refunds of their $2,500 filing fees.

‘Colbert Denied!’ on the wires
The most quoted reports in the media.

• From the Associated Press:
  

  “He’s really trying to use South Carolina Democrats as suckers so he can further a comedy routine,” said Waring Howe, a member of the executive council. And Colbert “serves to detract from the serious candidates on the ballot.”

  But state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter told the committee Colbert could showcase the state “in a way that none of the other candidates on the ballot have been able to do.”

  “I think you’re taking this a little too seriously,” she said.

• AP Video available here (via the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette).
• From Reuters:
  

  Hours later, the party’s executive council voted 13-3 against allowing him on the ballot for the January 26 primary contest, party spokeswoman Keiana Page told Reuters. The eight other major Democratic candidates were accepted, she said.

  “Those candidates who were rejected will receive their checks back,” she said, adding that a variety of reasons can keep a candidate off the ballot including whether they are a nationally recognized candidate and the individual is actively campaigning in the state.

• From UPI: “Carol Fowler, chairwoman of the state Democratic party, told the Times the party “really agonized over this because they really like him, they love his show and everyone thinks it’s wonderful that he cares about us.”"

‘Colbert Denied!’ in the major US media

• From the New York Times:
  

  Supporters of Mr. Colbert’s candidacy have said it cast an amusing and revealing eye on the hype and folly of presidential politics and could have brought younger voters into the process.

  But it also drew critics, who said it was a self-promotional distraction that was draining news media time and attention away from a serious campaign.

• From CNN:
  

  One of Colbert’s opponents on the executive council, Charleston Democratic party chairman Waring Howe, defended the decision.

  “Stephen Colbert clearly didn’t qualify under our rules, and it would have been a mistake and wrong to violate our rules,” he said.

  Meanwhile, long shots Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel did make the cut.

• From The Chicago Tribune: “One Colbert fan said the comedian’s campaign aimed at conservatives and liberals mocks how the more traditional candidates cater their message to whatever group they’re speaking to at the moment. “It seems what he’s doing is more in your face, playing both sides,” said James McManus, a 31-year-old who was raised in Sumter, S.C. “It is a pretty good satire on the political process.”"
• NPR (“Nancy Pelosi Radio”) had two spots on Friday: one on Morning Edition and another on The Bryant Park Project

Colbert Denied! in the International Press
Where sometimes things are lost in translation…

• From CBC (Canada): “The Colbert nation will not see its over-the-top leader take a run at the White House, after South Carolina Democrats on Thursday nixed TV host Stephen Colbert’s application to get on the ballot.”
• From The China Daily: “But Republican Gilda Cobb-Hunter of the state said before the council that Colbert could showcase South Carolina “in a way that none of the other candidates on the ballot have been able to do.”" [Note: This "Republican of the State" is Democratic State Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter.]
• From Deepikaglobal.com (India): “Colbert, whose pugnacious egomaniacal television persona routinely mocks conservative talk shows, said he had hoped to run in both South Carolina primaries “because I’d like to lose twice.”"
• From BBC (United Kingdom): “Despite stumping up a $2,500 (£1,250) deposit, Colbert’s application to stand in South Carolina’s Democratic primary was rejected by 13 votes to three.”

Colbert Denied! in the blogosphere
The reactions from a variety of blog sources. Apparently it’s big news on Wall Street, too.

• Huffington Post’s Rachel Sklar: “Is this the end of the Colbert Dream? Probably not — no doubt he’ll find a way to get around the vote, and hilariously (maybe it’s worth $35,000 to switch to the Republican ballot). Either way, don’t count him out yet. Democracy wouldn’t have it any other way.”
• MediaBistro’s FishbowlNY: “We won’t have the impeccably-coiffed Stephen Colbert to kick around anymore. We have criticized the Colbert Presidential run (with its dubious relationship to Doritos torilla chips), but now that it appears to be over we’re probably going to miss it something fierce.“
• Comedy Central’s Indecision2008.com: “Well, it’s obvious how many heroes there are on the South Carolina Democratic Party Executive Council. Three.” So, maybe if Colbert, with his hit TV show, his campaign Website, his best-selling book, I Am America (And So Can You!), and his ever-growing army of Facebook fans, had been running for King of South Carolina…? “We tried that once, and we started the Civil War,” Werner said, being quick to add that he was not suggesting that Colbert would have started a civil war.”
• The USA Today’s Tech Space: “The Democratic Party in South Carolina… has displeased us. I hope they’re quite satisfied with their dignity and whatnot over barring Stephen Colbert from the ballot; he may not be a “serious” candidate, but after the debate earlier this week I think we can all agree that we’d be better off with our man at the podium.”
• Time Magazine’s James Poniewozik: “Well, the Democratic Party and liberal Hollywood finally joined forces to stick it to Stephen Colbert. First came word, delivered to Colbert on The Colbert Report itself, that he had been rejected from the Democratic primary ballot in South Carolina. Then the Writers’ Guild announced that it was going to go on strike, which will most likely throw the Report into reruns immediately. (I half-expected Colbert to jujitsu the strike, by calling on TV and movie writers to walk off the job in support of his ballot rejection.) The man’s getting it from both coasts. He’s just too scary to them!“